It pains me to say this, but eight albums in eight years have finally taken its toll on Zakk Wylde and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. I feel the cracks started to show last year on Mafia. It was a solid album, but was not the match of past BLS albums like Stronger Than Death, The Blessed Hellride or Hangover Music. Shot To Hell though, represents a widening of those cracks. There are too many Alice In Chains moments, too many ballads, and way too many repetitive lyrics. In short it is the first album that Zakk has ever made that left me flat.
The album gets off to a good start with “Concrete Jungle”, a song that would have fit nicely on any of the past three albums, at least style-wise. Possibly one of Zakk’s most melodic tunes yet. From there though it immediately start to go sideways in a flat spin. The album has 13 tracks and at least half of them are simply filler. Sorry, there is just no better way to say it than that. The effort is still there in the form of amazing guitar playing and Zakk’s unmistakable voice, but the song writing falls far short of what we have come to expect.
Songs seem to just float by, melding one into another. If not for the occasional ballad thrown into the mix I think I would have lost all sense of where I was in the album. The ballads come too often, but I'll be damned if I don’t like them. It is that singer/songwriter inside Zakk that keeps coming out over the last few releases. Sure I would have much rather he saved them up for future volumes of Hangover Music, but on Shot To Hell they are with rare exception the highlights of the album.
Article comments
1 - Chris Beaumont
That's too bad, hopefully the upcoming live DVD, European Assault, willmake up for this lackluster outing.
2 - Splash Marshall
Black Label Society has only gotten better in my ears. I don't believe they have ever released an album's worth of killer material. So this album is no different than any previous album. The band rock out decently on this album. I believe this album is yet another turn towards more commercial territory which might be troubling to hardcore fans who want the metal grind. "Shot To Hell" might have been made a better record with Ozzy's vocals on it...
3 - Jon
"I feel the cracks started to show last year on Mafia. It was a solid album,..." That's the whole problem with the review: wrong perspective. Mafia is Zakk's worst album, by far. The monotony you think you're hearing on Shot to Hell is more aptly saved for Mafia. This is definitely a step up, and the reviewer probably didn't become a "fan" until after Zakk's best works were behiind him: Pride & Glory, Book of Shadows, and BLS's first two albums. If you're thinking Blessed Hellride and Hangover Music represent Zakk's best, you're obviously not really into his music, becaus eyou've skipped out on his original works.
4 - andy
Shot To Hell. WOW! Zakk, Craig and JD did a wicked job making this master peice. Unfortunatly Nick didnt record with them for STH, but, it still turned out good. BLS just keeps getting better and better each album, and Zakk keep deafening me with his amazing riffs and solos. Keep up the good work Zakk and Black Label! BLEED BLACK FUCKIN LABEL SOCIETY, STRENGTH DETERMINATION MERCILESS FOREVER!!
P.S. This goes out to Jon. Jon , do YOU know what music is? Its Zakk music that you dont like, Sonic Brew doesnt come close To The Blessed Hell Ride, Hangover Music, Mafia or Shot To Hell, but hey, we all have our opinions, but i think most people would have to disagree with you, but look at it this way, no album is bad, or in your words, have "cracks" , we're talkin about Zakk Wylde man! anyone who would like to talk to me about Black Label and Zakk, REAL BLS Fans, add me please...id love to talk to some real fans... [Personal contact info deleted]
SDMF
5 - andy
Shot To Hell. WOW! Zakk, Craig and JD did a wicked job making this master peice. Unfortunatly Nick didnt record with them for STH, but, it still turned out good. BLS just keeps getting better and better each album, and Zakk keep deafening me with his amazing riffs and solos. Keep up the good work Zakk and Black Label! BLEED BLACK FUCKIN LABEL SOCIETY, STRENGTH DETERMINATION MERCILESS FOREVER!!
P.S. This goes out to Jon. Jon , do YOU know what music is? Its Zakk music that you dont like, Sonic Brew doesnt come close To The Blessed Hell Ride, Hangover Music, Mafia or Shot To Hell, but hey, we all have our opinions, but i think most people would have to disagree with you, but look at it this way, no album is bad, or in your words, have "cracks" , we're talkin about Zakk Wylde man! anyone who would like to talk to me about Black Label and Zakk, REAL BLS Fans, add me please...id love to talk to some real fans... andy_adams14 (not msn.com, its @ hotmail.com)
SDMF
6 - Igor
Why the hell dosn't anybody mention 1919 Eternal??? In my opinion the best, most brutal BLS album. I would totaly have to agree with the reviewer. BLS for life biatches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7 - Hen
I dont really like how his music sounds with the keyboard, it reminds me of church. I guess i'm missing the message or something, i guess i'm reading his music wrong, cause i'm reading it as "hi, give me your money, i'm doing the best i can with out having to do acid". But maybe thats just the booze talking.
8 - Berserker
I picked up Shot to Hell last night and it is a solid album full of good riffs. Many people stated that it's too monotonous or that it sounds too much like Mafia. Although it is Mafia-esque, BLS still put out an album that kicks ass and is far better than anything being produced right now. Keep kickin ass brothers! SDMF. Chicago Chapter
9 - blah
Fake poser/wannbe metal.
Trendy garbage, which I could picture perfectly fitting into the background as a soundtrack for a tevelision show entitled "MADE: I want to be gay."
10 - Chris
Yeh I'm gutted to say I agree with the reviewer as well. :( I guess I was just setting myself up to be let down though. The release of this album was set to be the pure high point of my summer... Ah well. The next albums bound to be a classic! SDMF!!
11 - IbleedBLACKlabel
Well if thats your opinion, so be it. This album ay not be his best, but he's being himself, the way he wants to be. Shot to Hell is an amazing album
12 - blah
You do realize the whole "Bleed Black Label," "SDMF," "Family" thing is essentially marketing, right?
13 - boy from oz
Is it just me or is "the last Goodbye" 100% soundslike an ozzy song? i totally disagree with the reviewer! zakk wylde's been doing heavy metal for most of his career and this a more softer melodic ballad album and i think its great! it shows maturity in heavy metal performers such as megadeth when they release songs like "a Toute la monde" and metallicas "nothing else matters". How stale is it when an artists repeats the same sounding album four times!! it may not be popular, but atleasts its interesting
14 - Tim
Its funny when people tend to try something new that its slammed to no end. Every band has always tried new things while some just stay to a successful formula. If people go on the record and saying new expiriemental albums are bad then there shouldn't be no Metallica fans left. Because i truly believe that the last really good album they did was Justice For All. Same goes with Black Label Society. They are constantly trying new things and expiriementing with new sounds. Mafia, i thought was a great album for what it was. Yes, not all the songs are fantastic but by the same token, if you take them for what they are and not based on Zakks with previous work, its holds up. STH (which I am listening to right now for the record) i am finding very enjoyable. I try not to compare previous works to new stuff because the band constantly is evolving and *gasp* maturing. If they find commercial success with this album, great. Because I can say I was there from the beginning and didn't jump on the bandwagon because guess what I was already on it since Book of Shadows! Let the band be and enjoy what they put out. There will never be another "Sonic Brew" just like we will never see GNR try to reinvent Appetite for Destruction. It just isn't going to happen. Just enjoy whats there. If ya like it great if not then i think your not actually listening to the effort thats put into it. Thats my opinion and im sticking to it.
Tim
Black Label Society Central NY chapter
15 - littleshadow
Some of these tracks are the most emotionally moving songs I've heard in years. Nothing's The Same and Lead Me To Your Door... intensely powerful melodies driven by pure simplicity.
No, it's not an album full of "let's see how fast I can play this riff" and that's why I knew robotic critics like this guy would slam it, but if you can appreciate music for music, instead of running some mathematical equation in your head about technical demonstrations and volume, this is truly great stuff.
16 - blah
Essentially, they're pop ballads.
17 - blah
Note: I found them extremely corny.
18 - chris
the only problem i have with this album, and most of his recent ones is hes sounding more and more like ozzy. and the oh oh oh oh's are multiplying in every song. i muxh prefered the more deep sounding zakk on sonic brew, and 1919 eternel. Also the drums could be a bit more interesting then just simple straight beats and the ocasional drum fill. BUT!!! the guitar solos on this album are different then most which I thank him for. because we all know when we watch him live. its the same f@#$ing guitar solo in every song.
19 - Tim
I enjoy this album better than Mafia. I don't know if it's the ballads or the way his voice sounds on it but to me this is a more solid album than the previous one. The songs fit very well together and Zakk's guitar playing seems like it has gotten better over time. I've been a BLS fan since '98 and cannot wait until they perform with Ozzy in February '07 if it plays out.
20 - maypop
This cd kicks period I don't know the names of the tracks because i just got it about a week ago but track 8 9I think) with the long piano intro then the wicked main riff kicks ass. If last goodbye was done by Bon jovi it would be a hit there is nothing wrong with slowing up the pace and Zakk is great at it. It's not selling out if you feel the music and write the song, only if you write the song because of the airplay and money you'll get with it. Does anyone really believe Zakk is concerned with the airplay he gets on any song? It's just a bonus if it gets played.